Round brilliant diamonds are the most popular diamond shape. 70% of all diamonds are cut into this shape because it is the only perfectly symmetrical cut that reflects light equally from within its facets. If you are looking to purchase a round brilliant diamond on the internet, then there are some basic guidelines to follow to ensure your purchase offers the best quality at a fair price online.

Steps

1

Decide on your available budget. Have a reasonable idea of what diamond color and carat weight you are looking for. Colorless diamonds (D, E, and F) are more rare and thus will cost more. Near-colorless diamonds (G, H, I, and J) are more economical and offer the best of both worlds.

Did you know that most people cannot start to see color in a diamond until the H/I color range, with most people detecting color in J or below? Money Saving Tip: If you are setting your diamond in a white gold or platinum setting stick with G/H color. If you are setting your diamond in a yellow gold setting stick with J/K color.

2

Look for diamonds that only have the highest cut grades (GIA - Excellent or AGS - Ideal). Since cut is the most important characteristic when it comes to a diamond's brilliance and sparkle, you do not want to compromise in this area. Cut is a somewhat complex characteristic to evaluate.

Even the most diamond dealers and jewelers underestimate the importance of a diamond's cut proportions. For round brilliant diamonds, look for the following dimensions: Table % = 52.4% to 57.5%, Depth % = 58.7% to 62.3%, Crown Angle = 33.7 to 35.8 degrees, Pavilion Angle = 40.5 to 41.0 degrees.

3

Ensure that your diamond is "eye-clean" or has no visible inclusions. Remember that natural diamonds are 1-3 billion years old and were formed originally deep within the Earth's mantle. Through extreme heat and pressure they gained their durability and hardness. Inclusions are a natural by-product of this natural process and shouldn't be unexpected.

Clarity does not equal brilliance. A diamond's ability to reflect light from within its facets is indicative of its cut - so be sure to focus on cut quality above anything else.

4

Consider a diamond's fluorescence. Some natural diamond fluoresce and this is usually seen in special UV lighting situations such as black lights (nightclub). This can be a positive or negative aspect to your diamond's beauty so this is an important consideration.

For diamonds that are colorless (D-F), a strong blue fluorescence can sometimes make the diamond appear "milky" or even cloudy. However. this is in some cases and not all cases. In other situations, near-colorless (G-J) and tinted (K-M) diamonds can actually benefit from the strong blue fluorescence because the natural yellow tint that they have can be cancelled out by the blue hue.

In both cases, it is important to see actual pictures of the strong blue fluorescent diamond to ensure that it is not negatively affected by the fluorescence.

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Video

A round brilliant diamond purchased online by following the tips above.

Tips

An ASET image is one of the easiest ways to determine how well a round brilliant diamond is cut.

Diamonds are cut to reflect light. Therefore, light reflection and brilliance are a key factor when it comes to a diamond's beauty. Many diamond websites offer light reflector images to help the diamond buyer decide if a diamond will reflect light in a good way. ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool) and Ideal-scope images will help you to determine if a diamond is cut well and reflects the maximum amount of light from within its facets.

Try to purchase your loose round brilliant diamond from a website that offers actual magnified pictures and images of the actual diamond. A GIA or AGS grading report is not enough information to make a solid decision on whether a diamond is going to be visually balanced and beautiful.

Warnings

Always make sure that your diamond purchase comes with a fully disclosed refund and return policy. Most diamond websites and vendors have at least 14 - 30 days for you to evaluate your diamond and get it appraised/verified. If for some reason you are unhappy with your purchase, it is important to know that you can return it without any issue or disappointment.

Be very careful of purchasing diamonds without any magnified or light reflector images. Many diamond websites do not actually own their diamonds and simply list them virtually. Many of these diamonds are listed again and again on other diamond websites. The safest and smartest way to purchase your diamond is to make sure that your diamond website vendor actually owns your diamond. When they own it they can actually look at it and give you detailed information about it's cut, color, clarity and overall visual appeal.